‘Bridgerton,’ ‘I May Destroy You,’ ‘Never Have I Ever,’ and Every 2021 Golden Globes Snub
It has been decades since Hollywood hit the month of February without an awards show, but the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) kicked the season into high gear on Wednesday by announcing the 2021 Golden Globe nominations.
In a year with a Globes eligibility period longer than ever (qualified TV shows and movies span January 1, 2020, through February 28, 2021) and mass delays for COVID-19-related safety reasons, the nominations are a welcome reprieve, bringing joy and, of course, controversy. Nobody can do both quite like the HFPA, amirite?
With movie and television production schedules warped, Globes darlings like Succession and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel actually were not eligible for awards this year, clearing the floor for newcomers to secure recognition. And that worked out well in many cases (Andra Day! Riz Ahmed! Regina King, Emerald Fennell, and Chloé Zhao all up for director’s awards!), but in typical awards fashion, there were also controversial choices.
Buckle up and let’s dig into some of the biggest Golden Globes snubs of 2021.
I May Destroy You was shut out.
One of the buzziest new shows out there spun into one of the biggest snubs of the season.
Despite overwhelming critical acclaim—Cosmopolitan’s own Emma Baty called it “one of the best shows I’ve seen this year”—I May Destroy You was not nominated for a single Golden Globe.
Zendaya walked away without a nod for Malcolm & Marie.
Malcolm & Marie doesn’t hit Netflix until February 5, but critics still predicted a Golden Globe nomination for its 24-year-old superstar, so this was a disappointing turn of events.
Last year, Zendaya won an Emmy for her performance in Euphoria…which was also snubbed by the Globes.
You love all the nitty-gritty deets on the Golden Globes. So do we! Let’s overanalyze them together.
Sophia Loren’s grand return was interrupted.
Okay, here’s the deal with Sophia Loren: She’s an Italian icon, and until recently, she hadn’t starred in a project since 2009. That changed with her role in The Life Ahead, but her return to the screen did not net the Globes trophy some expected.
Minari wasn’t allowed to qualify for Best Picture.
Minari is set in America, shot in America, and written and directed by Denver’s own Lee Isaac Chung. The movie is about an immigrant family pursing the American dream and primarily features Korean instead of English.
But because the Golden Globes will not allow movies where the primary language isn’t English to qualify for Best Picture, Minari was shut out.
The same fate befell Parasite last year, which went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Understandably, this Globes rule has caused a lot of upset.
Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods was totally overlooked.
In an especially shocking move, Da 5 Bloods was shut out across the board in all Globes categories, meaning no nominations for director Spike Lee or actors Chadwick Boseman and Delroy Lindo (who is considered a front-runner for the Oscar).
As the New York Times points out, this snub of Spike Lee’s work contributes to the 2021 Globes totally overlooking Black ensemble films. Despite plenty of contenders to choose from—Da 5 Bloods, One Night in Miami, and Judas and the Black Messiah, to name a few—none of them made it into the Best Drama category.
In an extra-awkward move, the show still asked Spike Lee’s kids, Satchel and Jackson, to be Golden Globes ambassadors this year despite this…. 😬
Never Have I Ever was not nominated, again.
Mindy Kaling’s series was not given any Globes recognition this year after also being snubbed at the 2020 Emmys.
In response to the Emmys snub, Mindy had this to say: “We love our #NeverHaveIEver cast, are so proud of the reviews and the 40+ million people who watched and loved it worldwide. Sometimes a show like ours will always seem ethnic or niche to a certain group of people.”
Normal People’s Paul Mescal wasn’t given recognition like his costar.
Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones earned a nomination for her performance, but her costar Paul Mescal was left out.
This reversal of the 2020 Emmys (when Daisy was snubbed and Paul was short-listed for Best Actor) prevents Daisy and Paul from sharing equal nominations at a show, which is somewhat surprising considering Paul was the critical favorite. Still, he was a good sport and congratulated Daisy on her well-deserved nomination.
Tom Hanks missed out for both of his movies.
Tom Hanks took home the most prestigious Golden Globes trophy last year with the Cecil B. DeMille Award, but apparently, that doesn’t make him a Globes darling. Despite starring in two eligible movies—Greyhound and News of the World—Tom didn’t get HFPA approval this time around.
And of course, fan fave Bridgerton was overlooked.
Netflix reports that Bridgerton has been watched by 82 million (!!) people, but the Hollywood Foreign Press Association must have missed the memo.
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